http://www.heavens-above.com/glossary.aspx?la...Definition of "inferior planet"
A planet which orbits the Sun inside the Earth's orbit. The inferior planets are Mercury and Venus, plus a small number of recently discovered minor planets. All the other major planets, and the majority of the minor planets are superior planets.
Inferior planets orbit the Sun faster than the Earth, and experience inferior conjunctions and superior conjunctions, but never oppositions. The best time for observing an inferior planet is when it is at its greatest elongation from the Sun.
http://astronomy.nmsu.edu/nicole/teaching/AST...# Inferior planets: Those which lie closer to the Sun than the Earth ( Mercury and Venus).
# Superior planets: Those which lie further from the Sun than the Earth ( Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto).
http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cms/astro/cosmos...The inferior planets are those which orbit closer to the Sun than the Earth, namely Mercury and Venus. They are seen to undergo phases ranging from crescent to full, and also exhibit retrograde motion. When an inferior planet is positioned so that it has the same right ascension on the celestial sphere as the Sun, it is said to be at conjunction. If the planet is located between the Sun and the Earth, an inferior conjunction occurs and the planet will occasionally be seen transiting the Sun. If it is located on the opposite side of the Sun to the Earth, it is said to be at superior conjunction.
Unlike superior planets, inferior planets can never reach quadrature or opposition. Instead, they reach a maximum eastern or western elongation: 18 to 28 degrees for Mercury and 47 to 48 degrees for Venus.
http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cms/astro/cosmos...The superior planets are those planets which are further from the Sun than the Earth, namely Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.
When a superior planet and the Earth have the same right ascension on the celestial sphere (i.e. the Earth, Sun and superior planet all lie along the same line), a superior conjunction occurs (elongation = 0 degrees). A superior planet is at opposition when it is on the opposite of the Earth to the Sun (elongation = 180 degrees). The superior planets exhibit retrograde motion during their orbits around the Sun.
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/class...# The planets inside the orbit of the earth are called the Inferior Planets: Mercury and Venus.
# The planets outside the orbit of the earth are called the Superior Planets: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inferior_and_sup...The terms "inferior planet" and "superior planet" were originally used in the geocentric cosmology of Claudius Ptolemy to differentiate those planets (Mercury and Venus) having an epicycle that remained collinear with the Earth and Sun, compared to the planets (Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) that did not.[1]
In the 16th century, the terms were modified by Copernicus, who rejected Ptolemy's geocentric model, to distinguish a planet's orbit's size in relation to the Earth's.[2]
* "Inferior planet" is used in reference to Mercury and Venus, which are closer to the Sun than the Earth.
* "Superior planet" is used in reference to Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and all the known minor and dwarf planets, including Ceres and Pluto, which are farther from the Sun than the Earth.
The terms are sometimes used more generally: for instance, the Earth is an inferior planet as seen from Mars.
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http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untere_und_obere...Die Einteilung der Planeten des Sonnensystems in untere Planeten und obere Planeten innerhalb der beobachtenden Astronomie bezieht sich auf die unterschiedlichen Beobachtungsbedingungen durch die Größe ihrer Umlaufbahnen relativ zur Erdbahn. Die unteren Planeten umlaufen die Sonne innerhalb der Erdbahn, die oberen außerhalb.
Die unteren Planeten sind:
* Merkur
* Venus
Die oberen Planeten sind:
* Mars
* Jupiter
* Saturn
* Uranus
* Neptun
http://www.retrobibliothek.de/retrobib/seite....Gruppierung der Hauptplaneten. Man teilt von alters her die P. in zwei Gruppen: untere oder innere, welche der Sonne näher stehen als die Erde, und obere oder äußere, welche von der Sonne entfernter sind. Zur ersten Gruppe gehören Merkur und Venus, zur zweiten alle vom Mars bis Neptun, von denen im Altertum nur Mars, Jupiter und Saturn bekannt waren.
http://www.patania.de/galaxies/artikel/alexiko.htmOberer Planet
Ein Planet, der außerhalb der Erdbahn um die Sonne läuft. Obere Planeten sind Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptun und Pluto.
http://www.wissen.de/wde/generator/wissen/res...Die Planeten Merkur und Venus mit Bahnen innerhalb der Erdbahn werden als innere oder untere Planeten bezeichnet, die Planeten außerhalb der Erdbahn als äußere oder obere Planeten.
